Bill Stewart’s spot on the Big East teleconference

Sorry to report this, but Bill Stewart’s spot on the Big East teleconference didn’t solve many things. Actually, it kind of exacerbated a few topics, namely the idea he’s a little defensive when the sitaution isn’t entirely critical of him, the present or the future.

I will allow that he was tempted a little but — the Big East meme is tiresome, yes/no questions can be answered thusly, no reporter should ever say he thought a team was going to lose — but it seems to me he’s heading in a direction others are not.

I did re-watch the majority of the game and a lot of the areas in question and I think I can understand things a little better. Funny thing is, what I thought then is mostly what I think now. Seems you are all on the same page, too.

Oh well. Away we go …

Mack said:

I don’t have any questions or concerns after the LSU game. WVU is a pretty decent team, but not a great team. LSU has a great defense and a horrible offense. Both played exactly true to form. With WVU’s two touchdown drives, I was actually pleasantly surprised, but if anything about the WVU/LSU game surprised you then you were probably delusional to some extent.

The Big East is certainly West Virginia’s to lose.

I don’t know if you could have watched that game and not had an opinion that wasn’t at least based on that. And yet, listening to Stewart Saturday night and then again today, I think he’s under the assumption that everyone believes something else.

Brandon Priddy said:

Why did we not have a more solid solution at backup RB? It seems inconceivable that a team with this level of talent did not have a plan B for when Noel went down. The environment was far from hostile and no different from what we’ll face 5 times a year – just a road game – that can’t be an excuse. Any team should have a well thought-out contingency plan for a starter going down and it seems ours was ad-hoc.

That’s a major, major concern. With no way to know how badly Noel is injured — he did return to the game, he wasn’t himself — and without wanting to project ahead, it can be said toes can be a major drag for a player. Say he need a game off or can’t handle a normal workload. WVU obviously doesn’t have a way to go on as normal without Noel. Either that, or WVU didn’t trust Johnson, Hargrett, Alston in that spot. Also, Jock and Tavon were “absolutely not” condidered to replace Noel. Maybe they were needed at receiver to better promote WVU’s plan, but either was used that much to justify that. They can’t afford to have this problem pop up again later.

mike4352 said:

One of the questions I have is about the horrid ball security we are showing. I can understand if you get the you-know-what knocked out of you and fumble, but Ryan Clarke barely got hit … he fumbled because he was holding the ball like a loaf of bread. In my experience when basic fundamental skills start to slide, it’s because your coaches haven’t really made them a priority during practice and as such you have started “practicing” bad habbits.

My question would be what is the coaching staff doing to correct this now that coughing up the ball on our own 7 has helped cost us a very winnable game, and not only that, why wasnt this adressed earlier(remember coach said he didn’t want to make a big deal of it … “they know” he said)?

Stewart wants to avoid being the “nagging parent,” but they do talk about it and they do work on it. I’d have to assume more will be made of it now, but not to a point that goes beyond where it needs to go. Really, if you need to be told again and again and again “Don’t fumble,” it’s more individual than institutiona. And Clarke’s not a fumbler, either. Terrible answer: It happens.

Wayne said:

Were they afraid to punt away from Peterson fearing a shank or were those kicks mistakes by the punter?

Stewart said the kick in question went to the hash and was supposed to go to the number. He also said someone was knocked out of his lane on the coverage, which makes sense since no one was near Peterson. And credit to him. He saw an opening and exploited it.

p.i. reed said:

Fumbles.
Offensive line.
Missed field goals. Costly missed field goals.
Not completely demoralized after the loss, but LSU ain’t the LSU of old. I like that WVU played well enough to prompt the home crowd to boo, but it never fealt like a game where a touchdown wins it.
Gotta stop playing from behind.

I’m not sure about the offensive line. LSU got a lot of pressure, but a lot of it was up the middle and the DTs are really good … and WVU wasn’t in its best position at LG and RG that day. Their strength got the best of WVU’s weakness. It looked like WVU tried to address that with play calls, particularly with pass plays that moved the pocket and didn’t require much time for Smith to pass or for the defense to get him. Really, an amazing stat from that game was no sacks for the Tigers. As for the FGs, that’s a mystery. Bitancurt has been very reliable. Kid just had a bad night.

MooresvilleJeff said:

An opportunity lost. Damn, we should have won that game.

I’d say WVU could have won that game. I don’t think should is the right word. The team did a lot of things within the game it said before the game it could not do and expect to win.

rekterx said:

I think that LSU has a vastly superior college defense, that our team will get better, that we will win the Big East, and that we will be a worthy BCS bowl opponent against whomever we play.

I’m not freaking out. This team, Stew, and Stew’’s staff are not perfect. But I am not freaking out.

So, my question is this: How hard is it for Colin Dunlap to not come out with both barrels blazing and massacre a significant portion of the WVU fan base for their lunacy?

I’d guess it was pretty easy. As far as I can tell — and I’ve spoken to him about this — the most flak Stewart seems to be getting from fans is for his comments in the wake of the game. It’s as if they feel singled out and they’re not possessing the emotions he’s projecting. Apart from that, it seemed to me the game was transparent: Don’t make the mistakes, or as many mistakes, that gave LSU points and the win is very attainable. I thought most people would get that and it seems they have.

Dave said:

I’m going to have to start taking notes during the game to ask questions a few days later.

– What did Hogan do or what was the process to allow him to play given the multiple infractions he’s had?

– Why kick to Peterson with the hype during the week and our track record on kick defense?

– Why did we play relatively predictably with Devine and Jenkins out, especially when the line was stacked and prevented decent run yardage or type for Smith?

– What’s the deal with the lack of discpline? Interception to the 15 and we get an unsportsmanlike call on the road and behind on the scoreboard? Any stadium steps in the lad’s future?

– I don’t know. We’ll never know.

-That made no sense to me, either, but if it was a bad kick and a blown assignment …

– Can’t help you there, but there were admissions the deficit and Devine’s toe forced WVU to reassess.

– I’ll say no. That wasn’t a “celebration” toss. I think Smith was bummed he didn’t get a TD … and WVU needed an easy TD there. If WVU settles for a FG as opposed to scoring Jock’s TD, then Smith is running.

overtheSEC said:

Mack said it. We are who we thought we were. LSU is maybe the 6th or 7th best team in the SEC and will lose a game to an embarassing opponent this year.

A couple of questions on the plays run:
How much was Geno audibling?
The series where we went 3 and out without a single pass, why? And if they were the right calls, given the coverage, why did they fail?
Did we run a reverse all game?
What was different about the defensive looks LSU gave us on the first TD drive of the second half, and the rest of the game?
Do we have any other variety other than Clarke on 3rd and short to at least prevent 10 guys in the box and give him a chance?

Also,
Considering that we’re doing the same things and expecting different results, what’s going to CHANGE moving forward? I need to hear something is different for next week.
Lastly, can Stewart honestly say we left Death Valley with no more bullets in our gun? All the scheming and planning and that’s what we are able to muster?

– Geno audibled quite a bit early and then a few times late. They gained good chunks on the early ones and didn’t do so well on the late ones.

– Can’t explain the runs on the three-and-outs except that they thought they were going to gain yards. Maybe they wanted to consume some clock hoping they’d score and not give LSU much time to reply. Coming off their goal line with the run has been something that’s bothered WVU as far back as preseason practice.

– No revereses and the only misdirection I can remember noting was that weird shotgun counter with Noel early and it failed. Something to get the defense going one way and the ball another could have helped.

– Not sure what was different except that Mullen made good calls and that probably has something to do with halftime adjustments. Also, WVU had momentum. That makes blocking and running a little easier.

– Nope. Usually WVU’s big is better than the opponent’s big in that spot. Not so against LSU. Also, what seemed strange to me with Clarke as the feature back was that Lindamood wasn’t in there, too. If WVU was of the impression it could not block LSU, then it needed as much help as possible. Shotgun runs with Clarke take time and give the DL time to pounce.

– How about more bubble screens? WVU blocked them pretty well against LSU and WVU hasn’t called a lot of screens this season. I highly doubt an overhaul occurs.

– I’d say there’s a regretable ammo cache.

Spatial Angel said:

The only team that can prevent the Mountaineers from going 11-1 is West Virginia. Unfortunately WVU is the opponent every week.

Largely accurate. Turnovers are concerning. Special teams are still troubling, though in a different area. And WVU is 7-8 on the road under Stewart. Those, on different levels, are “them” problems. 

ffejboc said:

Mike, I don’t blame Coach Stewart for snapping. I’m sure it gets old having to defend everything single thing you do.

As for the game, I only have a couple of gripes…

On our second to last drive of the game, we had it 3rd down and 2yds to go and the LSU defense seemed to be on its heels a little bit, but we called time out. This gave them a chance to regroup and the play after the time out (an option play by Geno) was stuffed for a loss. So we had to punt.

We got the ball back, but went three and out with 3:00 minutes left and that was the ball game.

Wasn’t particularly enamored with the calls on that last series, and I didn’t agree punting at that point because we weren’t going to get the ball back and drive down the field with only 1 time out left. Felt to me like we were conceding defeat at that point. I felt we should have went for it. I mean, is there a difference between losing 27-14 and 20-14? It left a bad taste in my mouth, because I didn’t feel like we were trying to win at that point.

But overall…to give LSU 10 points on turnovers, give up a punt return for a TD, have Noel get hurt in the first quarter, and start every drive (it seems) from our own 10yd line…well, considering all that, we gave a pretty good accounting of ourselves.

– I don’t think Stewart was being asked to defend anything on most of those questions. There were requests for explanations — eg., I asked what he didn’t like about the punt, after he said he didn’t like it.

– That play was when Geno checked out of the play called in the timeout and went with an option. I’d have to assume that was discussed in the huddle. “If you see this, then change to that.” Or maybe Geno changed out, saw there wasn’t much time, hurried, got behind the RG, panicked and ran an option on his own.

– The punt was odd, but some subscribe to the idea that on the road you extend the game as long as you can. WVU punts and has a timeout. Maybe LSU botches the punt. Maybe on the return or one of the plays LSU would have to run WVU causes a fumble. Devil’s advocate stuff, I know, but a turnover on downs leads to an easy field goal for LSU, a nine-point deficit and not enough time to pull off two miracles.

OB1 said:

WVU should win the Big East. That being said, I fully expect WVU to be the sacrificial lamb of the BCS this year.

I think that’s the scale on which things wull be evaluated.

Josh24601 said:

This team was never a realistic contender for the national title. Now that a title shot is off the table, the highest goal for WVU’s season is to win the Big East, which is eminently achievable. Because winning the conference depend entirely on winning the games, WVU fans no longer have to worry that an underwhelming win means WVU might miss out on something*. Losing ain’t fun, but at least we don’t have to sit through the pageant — which WVU couldn’t have won anyway, having started so far back — anymore. Win this dreadful league, Mountaineers.

*What? “Style points” such as piling up yards and soundly beating tomato cans are better predictors of future results than just gettin’ that W? You go to hell, rhetorical questioner.

Perspective!